In the automotive industry, there is generally a need for simple, quick and cost-effective methods and arrangements for assembly of vehicles and vehicle parts. In addition, an ever increasing desire for further features and enhanced comfort in a vehicle may lead to problems with fitting all the new features into the vehicle as well as control levers for these features. For example, with regard to an arrangement for operating the windows of a vehicle, there is often an arrangement of multiple control switches in the vicinity of the driver in order to be able to control the raising and lowering of all operable windows in the vehicle from the driver's seat.
A space which is generally considered as suitable for placing the control switches has been the door panel. There may however be a packaging problem due to the size of the window switch pack on the driver's side and the ergonomic demands as well as the cost.
The large window switch pack has always been a difficult part to make room for. There are also very specific demands as to where it can be placed, often in direct conflict with a grab handle, door pockets and the required space for a glove box. In addition, there is a need to provide a mirrored component in order to be used in a Right Hand Drive (RHD) vehicle as well as a Left Hand Drive (LHD) vehicle. Hence, the vehicle either needs to be provided with different constructional components in order to be adapted for different vehicle variants (RHD or LHD) or needs to be equipped with the same set up for both the passenger and driver sides, which may require unnecessary details, e.g. larger panels to be provided on both sides, which thus may increase costs. Today's solutions which are offered by a number of suppliers are often expensive, have a weight penalty and are difficult to package. They may restrict ergonomics and require that the passenger and driver doors are symmetrical around the part in question, creating a large unused area when there is no switch pack on the passenger door.
In recent years, it has become more common with multi-control functions including a central multi-input device from which a multitude of functions in the vehicle may be set or controlled. In the document US 2007/0085423, there is disclosed a vehicle window control arrangement wherein a multi-control switch module is designed in the form of a touch screen for controlling the windows and other features, e.g. a door locking operation and/or vehicle mirrors. Also, the document U.S. Pat. No. 8,095,278 (see FIG. 9) discloses a window control arrangement which includes a multifunctional control unit including control of the vehicle windows.
However, even though these arrangements enable a way to control vehicle windows while reducing the number of hardware control switches for the windows there is still a desire to also be able to use hardware control switches for the windows, e.g. due to legal restrictions or a desire to be able to control the rear windows from the back seat.
There is thus a desire to provide an improved arrangement and method for vehicle window operation which provides a reliable and cost-efficient window operation switch arrangement. Such a solution may reduce the need for different and highly specific hardware control arrangements, e.g. advanced hardware control switches or control units, and may also reduce the variety of components to be used in order to provide a more cost-efficient and easily mountable arrangement while still allowing the windows to be controlled appropriately from relevant positions within the vehicle.